adriance



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. ADRIANOE 8: J. H. VOLKMANN.

VENDING APPARATUS.

Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN ADRIANOE, OF BROOKLYN, AND JOHN H. VOLKMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO SAID VOLKMANN.

VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,199, dated September 27, 1892.

Application filed April 19,1892. Serial No. 429,737. (No model.)

To to whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN ADRIANOE, residing in Brooklyn, Kings county, and State of New York, and JOHN H. VOLKMANN, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improved Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 represents a vertical section of our improved vending apparatus, the line 1 1, Fig. 3, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a back view of the coin and package conveyer. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Figs. 4. and 5 are vertical sections on the lines 4: 4, Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 6 is a dia gram hereinafter more fully referred to.

This invention relates to sundry improvements in vending apparatus, being apparatus calculated to deliver packages of merchandise in return for inserted coins, its object being to so arrange the parts that they are not liable to be brought out of order and so that a proper coin once inserted will under all circumstances eitectuate the desired purpose.

The invention consists of the new arrangements and combinations of parts that are hereinafter more fully described,

In the drawings the letter A represents the outer case of our apparatus, the same being adapted to receive one or more vertical columns of packages 13 B to be sold. These packages in each column are superposed one above the other, the arrangement being such that the lowest package of the column will be ejected by the proper coin and the remainder of the column caused to descend so as to bring another package into the place previously occupied bythe one ejected. The lowermost package of each column rests on two stationary rails a b, which are placed in a substantially horizontal position into the casing or shell A. The edges of these rails or Z) are made sloping, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that they may constitute supports for the coin which is used to eject the lowermost package. The coin is through a suitable testing apparatus (which is indicated at O in Fig. 1) brought into a chute D, from which it drops into the vertical slot d of removable coin-conveyer F,

which conveyer connects with a pusher-rod E, that extends through the apparatus, so that when said pusher-rod is moved the conveyer itself will be moved, a spring e holding the conveyer and its pusher-rod in the desired normal or receiving position. hen the coin (which is indicated at f in Fig. 4-) drops from the chute D into the slot at of the co11veyer,it

is prevented from passing through that slot by the inclined edges of the stationaryrails a b, which edges are nearer together than the diameter of the coin, as is clearly indicated on the righthand side of Fig. 2, where the coin f is represented as being partlyinserted in the slot 6 5 of the conveyer F, and yet, nevertheless, supported on the rails a b. In this particular position the coin-that is to say, after it has just arrived in the conveyeris taken hold of by the conveyer, so that it will be able to follow the conveyer in its longitudinal motion, and yet, nevertheless, the coin cannot drop through the conveyer so long as it rests on the rails (t b. In this particular position, furthermore, the coin is directly in front of the lowermost 7 5 package B, as in Fig. 4, which package is by a springg crowded toward a stationary partition h, so that its normal position is exactly defined, the said spring also preventing the lowermost package from being shaken out of its place by agitation of the entire contrivance. When new the pusher-rod E is moved to push the conveyer and the coin which it holds in its grasp toward the package B, the said package will be gradually S5 moved along the upper edges of the rails or Z) by the coin until finally the lowermost package will find no further support on the rails a b and will drop off .them into a dischargechute G toward the delivery-opening 2'. The coin traveling along the rails during the 1110- tion imparted to it by the pusher E serves to eject the package in the manner stated; but

as the motion of the conveyer is greater than the length of rails a b or one of them, or, 9 5 in other words, as the motion of the conveyer is such that it pushes the coin beyond the end of one of said rails or of both, it follows that slightly before the motion of the conveyer is arrested the coin loses its support'on too said rails and drops through the slot 61 of the conveyer into a cash-box H, which is pro vided for its reception and from which it may be removed whenever the apparatus is unlocked.

It happens at times that after the conveyer has been pushed partway and is then let go it will come back to its primary or normal position, together with its coin,,without having discharged a package, and if thereafter another coin is inserted it will find the first in its way, thereby creating considerable confusion, the first purchaser, moreover, getting no return for his money, or else if the stroke imparted to the pusher is sufficiently sharp and short the coin will be liable to expel a package by impetus without the coin leaving theconveyer, so that. when brought/back by the conveyer-spring it will be in position to expel other packages. To guard against this, we have placed spring-detents jj against the inner edge of one of the rails a b, as shown in Fig. 3. As the coin passes one of these springdetents during its pushing-action,it will be unable to return to its starting position, and will therefore also prevent the conveyerfromreturning to the starting or normal-position, and so on after passing each spring-detent the coin will make sure that none of the parts can go back to the normal position until that particularcoin shall have firstbeen dischargedand with it the package ejected to whichthe coin is intended to pertain.

Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings indicate that the packages B B are wider as they rest onthe rails ct 1) than said rails are long, so that each package overhangs the rail or-rails beneath.

above, in manner indicated in the diagram Fig. 6, at the time the coin drops away from behind said package, and that consequently all the upper series of packages will be properly supported in their raised position until the lowermost package and actuatingcoin are gotten out of the way and will drop plump upon the rails and not in disorder, as frequently happens in other constructions of such machines.

We have heretofore stated that the two rails to b have inclined sides, (and they are so represented in Fig. 2;) but it is not necessary for the purpose of this invention that the edges should be inclined. They might be rounded or even square and yet answer the desired purpose.

In order to enable the coin to drop off the rails and entirely into or'through the slot at at the time the lowermost package loses its last bit of support on the rails a b, we have preferred to notch the extreme end of therail 11, as indicated at a in Figs. 2 and 3. These notches are of such extent that the coin as soon as it gets into alignment with ment is important, as the upper packages,

. resting on the lowermost package throughout the time the coin pushes the latter, prevent the coin from being expelled upwardly, assuring its downward discharge before the uppermost packages descend.

The partition h, against which the lowermost package is crowded by the spring 9, is cut away, as at h, for the purpose of allowing the upper part of the coinfto pass through. This is clearly apparent from Figs. 4 and 5,

The cash-box H, into which the coin is dropped from the conveyer at the end of the latters return-stroke, is swiveled at m 1n the case A, being, in fact, an about-semi cylindrical shell with rigid end plates at, which receive the swivel-pins m. From this cash-box projects a lever J toward the upper part of the casing, as shown in Fig. 1, andhunder a removable shelf 0. As long as this shelf is in its position the leverJ will be unable to move upward, and hence the swiveled cash-box H Will be unable to be turned in one direetion, its motion in the opposite direction being stopped by a stationary shoulder 13. (See Fig.

1.) The front door L of the casing A, which through the shelf 0 prevents the removal of that shelf. Hence as long as the front door is locked and in place the cash-box cannot be opened; but the moment the front door is taken out the shelf will be unlocked and can be taken out also, and thereupon the cash- }box can be freely swung around its pivot and its contents removed.

It follows from this that the expelled package will still be beneath the packages As these vending-machines are largely used we have provided an air-circulating chamber in the vending apparatus, which will enable the packages within to remain comparatively unaffected by excessive heat. It will be seen that the casing A is perforated, as at s, at theupper part; that the partitions which may be in the way of a direct air-passage from the package-outlet i are likewise perforated, and that consequently a flue for the free circulation of air is created in the apparatus directly adjoining the packages, thereby preventing hot air from being confined in the apparatus and from injuring the contents thereof.

We desire it distinctly understood that the coin-conveyer F, instead of being pushed, as described, may be pulled or otherwise moved longitudinally without that being a departure from our present invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is- 1. The combination of the slotted coin-conveyer F with stationary rails or b, placed closer together than the diameter of the coin, and with means for imparting longitudinal motion to the slotted conveyer along and beyond the rails a b, or either of them, and by the coin to a package resting on said rails, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the slotted coin-conveyer F with the rails a I), having notches a, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

3. The combination of the slotted coin-conveyerF with therails ah, said rails beingnearer together than the coin which the conveyer is adapted to carry, and with the spring-detent-s j along the edge of one of said stationary rails, substantially as herein shown and described.

41.. The combination of the slotted coin-cou- Veyer F with the stationary rails a 1), station ary plate It, and spring g, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

5. The combination of the slotted coin-con- Veyer F with the stationary rails a b, which are adapted to support a package above them and also to support the coin behind said package, and with means, substantially as de scribed, for moving said package and said coin, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of the swiveled cashbox H with the lever J, jointed thereto, and l with the front door Let the casing A, all arranged so that said front door when in place holds the cash-box looked, as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of the swiveled cashbox H and its projecting lever J with the removable shelf 0 and with the door L, having 35 pin 7", all arranged so that said door shall lock the removable shelf and also the cashbox, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a vending apparatus containing pack- 40 ages in vertical column, the combination of a coin-conveyer, a set of rails adapted to support the lowermost package, and means, substantially as described, for moving the coin conveyer and for discharging the coin at a 45 place vertically underneath the column of packages and substantially in line with the ends of the said rails, substantially as herein shown and described.

BENJAMIN ADRIANCE. JOHN H. VOLKMANN. Witnesses:

JAMES L. SUYDAM, L. M. WACHSOHLAGER.

Maxi 

